Latest From California Healthline:

A multistate nursing agreement allows nurses to work in numerous states without the hassle and expense of obtaining licenses in each one. More than half of states have signed on to an upgraded version of the agreement — but not California. (Anna Gorman,
2/21)

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Summaries Of The News:

“We’re hearing loud and clear that this is really the most important issue for cities up and down the state,” said Assemblyman Phil Ting (D-San Francisco).

San Jose Mercury News:
Will California Use Its Budget Surplus To Help The Homeless?
Responding to pleas from 11 big-city mayors grappling with the alarming rise of homelessness, California lawmakers on Wednesday announced two proposals that would devote over half of the state’s $6.1 billion budget surplus to the crisis. A bipartisan bill from Assemblyman Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, and backed by Republican Assemblyman Brian Maienschein of San Diego, calls for a one-time infusion of $1.5 billion in matching funds for cities. (Murphy, 2/21)

The nursing homes, they know the system and they really game it to where they maximize their advantage,” said Tony Chicotel, a lawyer at California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, a nonprofit group. Federal regulators are seeking ways to step up enforcement on discharge laws.

The New York Times:
Complaints About Nursing Home Evictions Rise, And Regulators Take Note
Six weeks after Deborah Zwaschka-Blansfield had the lower half of her left leg amputated, she received some news from the nursing home where she was recovering: Her insurance would no longer pay, and it was time to move on. The home wanted to release her to a homeless shelter or pay for a week in a motel. “That is not safe for me,” said Ms. Zwaschka-Blansfield, 59, who cannot walk and had hoped to stay in the home, north of Sacramento, until she could do more things for herself — like getting up if she fell. (Bernard and Pear, 2/22)

Anthem Blue Cross states that the medical center “appears to have conspired with several third parties to fabricate or misrepresent claims for toxicology testing services that were improperly billed to Anthem.”

Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
Health Insurance Giant Accuses Sonoma West Medical Center Of Fraudulent Billing
Health insurance behemoth Anthem Blue Cross is accusing Sonoma West Medical Center and Palm Drive Health Care District of participating in a business fraud scheme that has resulted in more than $13.5 million in improper payments to the medical center. In a Feb. 9 letter to both the district and medical center, Anthem threatened legal action and demanded the money be repaid. District and hospital officials say they’ve done nothing wrong and are preparing a response to the insurance giant. (Espinoza, 2/21)

It's usually not life-threatening for the children, but the quicker doctors can diagnose what the problem is, the quicker they can help. With that in mind, one ER department is changing up its policy to better treat these young patients.

Capital Public Radio:
Kids And Pot: How One Emergency Room Is Responding
Emergency physician and medical toxicologist Dan Kolby with UC Davis said doctors have seen an increase over the last two years in pediatric patients who’ve accidentally ingested marijuana. ... UC Davis emergency room staff have started asking parents more pointed questions about whether a child has had access to the drug, and soon they’ll add a urine test to their screening protocols when they suspect marijuana ingestion. (Caiola, 2/21)

The Bakersfield Californian:
New Bakersfield Valley Children's Center Set To Open Oct. 1
More details have been provided on when Valley Children’s Healthcare’s new Bakersfield center will open. A tentative grand opening has been set for Oct. 1, said Tim Curley, director of community and government relations for the Madera-based organization. Curley gave an update on the project at Wednesday’s City Council meeting. The construction of the new facility, called the Eagle Oaks Specialty Care Center, began early last year and is on schedule to be finished in August for a fall opening. The 52,000-square-foot center will be located at Stockdale Highway and Allen Road. (Luiz, 2/21)

President Donald Trump hosted a group of families and survivors affected by mass shootings to try to brainstorm a way forward. The president floated several ideas, but came back to background checks, mental health laws and arming teachers. Meanwhile, in Florida, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) participated in a town-hall like event to talk about gun control and safety laws. He earned both cheers and jeers for his positions.

The Wall Street Journal:
Trump, At White House Forum, Signals Support For Arming School Staff
“I’m pissed,” said Andrew Pollack, whose 18-year-old daughter, Meadow, was killed at Stoneman Douglas. “I’m not going to see my daughter again. She’s not here. She’s at North Lauderdale in King David Cemetery. That’s where I go to see my kid now. ”Mr. Pollack said school safety needed to be the first priority, and then gun laws could be debated later. “How many schools, how many children have to get shot?” he said. (Nicholas and Bender, 2/21)

The Washington Post:
‘Fix It’: Students And Parents Tell Trump He Needs To Address Gun Violence At Schools
President Trump leaned forward and listened intently for nearly an hour Wednesday afternoon as students, parents and teachers begged him to do something, anything, to prevent a mass shooting from happening at another school. The group offered a wide variety of suggestions — bolster school security, drill students on what to do during a shooting and raise the age at which someone can buy an assault rifle — but in the end, the president remained focused on the solution he often proposes after a mass shooting: increasing the number of people with guns so they can quickly stop shooters with lethal force. (Johnson and Wagner, 2/21)

Politico:
Amid Student Anger, Trump Hosts Live White House Special On Gun Violence
Since the shooting, the president has been looking for a way to take action on guns in response to cries from gun-control advocates and emotional students, whose images have been plastered across television screens around the clock, without alienating his pro-gun base, which he courted with promises to support the Second Amendment. In response to remarks by the families at the listening session, he floated some new ideas, surprising some White House aides, including reopening some of the mental institutions shuttered in the 1970s to house worrisome teens who have not committed any crimes, and arming teachers or other school officials — controversial views that he would have difficulty garnering support for on Capitol Hill. (Johnson and Lima, 2/21)

The New York Times:
Marco Rubio And N.R.A. Jeered On Gun Stance
The spokeswoman for the N.R.A., Dana Loesch, offering the group’s first public comments after a shooting last week at a Florida high school, strongly defended the gun advocacy group’s positions in front of students and teachers from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. “People who are crazy should not be able to get firearms,” she said, insisting that enforcement of mental health laws, not new gun restrictions, would prevent future massacres. Mr. Rubio, Republican of Florida, also drew the ire of the crowd for refusing to support a ban on assault weapons and for saying that he intended to continue accepting money from the N.R.A. and other groups that support his pro-gun agenda. (Shear, 2/21)

The Hill:
House Dems Call For Vote On Lifting Gun Violence Research Limits
A group of House Democrats is calling on Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) to take up a bill to repeal restrictions on gun violence research at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The push to lift the restriction has gained new attention in the wake of the school shooting last week in Florida. (Sullivan, 2/21)

The Center for American Progress' "Medicare Extra For All" plan would maintain a role for employers and insurers, and use Medicare's thrifty payment system as framework to pool working-age people, low-income people now covered by Medicaid and seniors.

The Associated Press:
Liberal Group Proposing Plan For Health Coverage For All
A major liberal policy group is raising the ante on the health care debate with a new plan that builds on Medicare to guarantee coverage for all. Called "Medicare Extra for All," the proposal to be released Thursday by the Center for American Progress gives politically energized Democrats more options to achieve a long-sought goal. (2/22)

In other national health care news —

The New York Times:
Trump’s Pick To Lead Indian Health Service Withdraws Nomination
President Trump’s nominee to lead the Indian Health Service has withdrawn his name from consideration for the position, a spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Humans Services said Wednesday. The withdrawal of the nominee, Robert Weaver, follows Wall Street Journal reports that said he had inaccurately represented his qualifications to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs after his nomination in October. Mr. Weaver joins a growing list of Trump nominees who have withdrawn from consideration after questions arose about their fitness for their assigned posts. (Baumgaertner, 2/22)

The Washington Post:
White House Intends To Meet With Leading Veterans Groups Amid Drama At VA
White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly intends to meet with the nation’s leading veterans advocates next week amid ongoing anxiety that there is a desire by some of President Trump’s political appointees to oust Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin, according to people familiar with the matter. The impending White House meeting follows a private gathering Tuesday of the top officials from 12 veterans service organizations (VSOs), including the American Legion, VFW and Disabled Veterans of America. These groups represent millions of former service members and their families, forming one of Trump’s core constituencies. (Wax-Thibodeaux, 2/21)

The Hill:
Health Chief Exploring More Actions On High Drug Prices
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar says his department is working on additional proposals aimed at high drug prices, including some that could be enacted without congressional action. In an interview with WTHR in Indianapolis on Tuesday, Azar pointed to the proposals to Congress on drug pricing that the administration made in its budget this month, but also said the department is working on other proposals that might not need congressional approval. (Sullivan, 2/21)

The Associated Press:
It's OK To Use Nasal Spray Flu Vaccine Again, US Panel Says
It's OK for doctors to start using a kid-friendly nasal spray flu vaccine again, a federal panel said Wednesday. Two years ago, the advisory group pulled its recommendation for FluMist vaccine after research found it wasn't working against swine flu, the kind of flu that was making most people sick then. But the Advisory Committee of Immunization Practices voted 12-2 Wednesday to recommend the nasal spray as an option for next winter's flu season. (2/21)